In the fast-evolving world of artificial intelligence hardware, few names carved out a niche quite like Hailo. Specializing in edge AI processors—chips designed to run heavy machine-learning workloads directly on smart devices rather than massive cloud data centers—the Israeli startup captured global attention.
However, when people search for the “Hailo owner,” the answer involves a journey from visionary founding tech entrepreneurs to high-profile venture backers, and finally, a major corporate acquisition.
1. The Original Founders: The Visionaries Behind Hailo
Hailo was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel, in February 2017 by a core team of tech veterans who wanted to rethink traditional computer architecture for AI:
- Orr Danon (Co-Founder & CEO): Danon has steered the company’s strategic growth from its inception, navigating its technical milestones and positioning its specialized processors for the automotive, security, and industrial automation markets. Following the untimely passing of co-founder Rami Feig, Danon took the reins as CEO.
- Avi Baum (Co-Founder & CTO): Baum brought deep semiconductor expertise to the table, overseeing the revolutionary architecture of Hailo’s proprietary deep-learning processors (such as the Hailo-8 and Hailo-10 chips).
- Hadar Zeitlin (Co-Founder): Zeitlin played a crucial foundational and business-oriented role during the company’s early scale-up phases.
- Rami Feig (Co-Founder): An accomplished tech leader whose legacy remains deeply embedded in the company’s early structural breakthroughs.
2. The Backers and Stakeholders (Venture Capital & Investors)
Before any acquisition, Hailo operated as a private venture-backed unicorn, raising over $340 million across multiple funding rounds. Its cap table featured prominent institutional investors and corporate giants, including:
- Poalim Equity & Poalim Capital Markets
- OurCrowd
- Gil Agmon / Delek Motors / Talcar Corp.
- Union Square Ventures & KDDI
- The late tech visionary Zohar Zisapel, who was an early foundational believer and investor.
At its peak during its Series C funding round in April 2024, Hailo achieved a valuation of $1.2 billion, placing it firmly in “unicorn” status.
3. Recent Shift: The Acquisition by Microchip Technology
The ownership landscape of Hailo shifted dramatically following a period of market readjustment and liquidity pressures. Facing a cooling tech funding environment and a compressed valuation, the company pursued strategic paths to secure its future.
In July 2026, American semiconductor giant Microchip Technology officially acquired Hailo in a definitive agreement.
- Who owns Hailo now? Hailo is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microchip Technology, integrating its advanced edge-AI accelerators and vision processors directly into Microchip’s global embedded processing and microcontroller ecosystem.
- Leadership continuity: Co-founder Orr Danon remained at the helm to help transition the company into its new era, emphasizing that Microchip’s massive global reach will finally give Hailo the broad commercial scale it needs to dominate the edge-AI landscape.
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